CIAO DATE: 11/01
Combating Terrorism: Selected Challenges and Related Recommendations
Report to Congressional Committees
United States General Accounting Office
September 2001
Abstract
September 20, 2001
The Honorable Carl Levin
The Honorable Bob Stump
We at the U.S. General Accounting Office, as all Americans, were shocked
by the coordinated terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington,
D.C., on September 11, 2001. This report, which already was scheduled for
release this month before the events of September 11, summarizes federal
efforts to combat terrorism prior to these events. Given the tragic events
of September 11, it is clear that combating terrorism efforts are now at the
top of the national agenda. This report does not include recent efforts
made in light of these recent attacks. While this report is a dispassionate
and analytical discussion of the progress made and challenges faced by the
federal government and the nation, we recognize the terrible cost of
terrorism in human terms. The events of September 11 remind us that the
victims of terrorism are real people—men, women, and children—and are
our families, colleagues, friends, and neighbors. Our hearts go out to the
victims, including the heroic first responders who were lost, and their
families. We hope that this report promotes a reasoned discussion and
additional actions designed to better prepare the nation to combat
terrorism. Concerned that terrorists might use weapons of mass destruction—a
chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear agent or weapon—against
civilian targets within the United States, or attack critical infrastructure
through computer systems, the Congress and various federal agencies
have undertaken numerous initiatives over the past few years designed to
improve the nation's ability to combat terrorism. As mandated in section
1035 of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2001 (P.L. 106-398, Oct. 30, 2000), we reviewed the strategy, policies,
and programs to combat domestic terrorism, particularly domestic
terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction. We briefed your staffs
previously on the preliminary results of our work. This report contains the
final results of our review. In response to the mandate and, as agreed with your offices, this report
assesses (1) the current framework for leadership and coordination of
federal agencies' efforts to combat terrorism on U.S. soil, and proposals
for change, (2) progress the federal government has made in developing
and implementing a national strategy to combat terrorism domestically,
(3) the federal government's capabilities to respond to a domestic terrorist
incident, (4) progress the federal government has made in helping state
and local emergency responders prepare for a terrorist incident, and
(5) progress made in developing and implementing a federal strategy for
combating cyber-based attacks. This capping report updates and
summarizes our extensive evaluations conducted in recent years of federal
programs to combat domestic terrorism and protect critical infrastructure.
We include a series of Recommendations for Executive Action, including
three recommendations to the President, to improve overall leadership
and coordination of federal efforts to combat terrorism as well as other
improvements. Agency comments on a draft of this report were based on
their efforts prior to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. We are sending copies of this report to other interested congressional
committees. We also are sending copies to the President; the Vice
President; the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy,
Health and Human Services, State, Transportation, the Treasury, and
Veterans Affairs; and the Attorney General. In addition, we are sending
copies to the Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; the
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the Director of
Central Intelligence; the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency;
the Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency; the Director,
Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Administrator, General Services
Administration; the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs;
the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology; the Director,
Office of Management and Budget; the Commandant of the U.S. Coast
Guard; and the Director, U.S. Secret Service. We will make copies
available to other interested parties upon request. This report also will be
available on GAO's web site at www.gao.gov. If you or your offices have any questions about matters discussed in this
report, please contact me at (202) 512-5500; Henry L. Hinton, Jr., Managing
Director, Defense Capabilities and Management, at (202) 512-4300; or
Raymond J. Decker, Director, at (202) 512-6020. They also can be reached
by e-mail at hintonh@gao.gov and deckerrj@gao.gov, respectively.
Contacts and key contributors are listed in appendix XVII. David M. Walker
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Chairman
The Honorable John Warner
Ranking Minority Member
Committee on Armed Services
United States Senate
Chairman
The Honorable Ike Skelton
Ranking Democratic Member
Committee on Armed Services
House of Representatives
Comptroller General
of the United States